Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian MA Sumanthiran has launched a petition campaign calling for the repeal of Sri Lanka’s draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act.
The campaign will be inaugurated tomorrow morning in front of the Fort Railway Station in Colombo.
In his statement, Sumanthiran noted that the act was introduced in 1979 as a temporary provision but has continued for over 40 years.
“During this period, we have witnessed its use to crush dissent against the government of the day, as it has been done consistently in the past and continues today” he notes.
He further adds:
“The government has given several assurances in the past that this legislation will be repealed, and a law enacted in its place that complies with international human rights standards and norms. However, the recent Amendment Bill presented to Parliament falls short of such assurances and fails to address any of the draconian provisions in the PTA”.
This statement follows widespread criticism of the proposed reform to the PTA by over 80 civil society organisations and leading human rights groups such as the International Commission of Jurists, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
Read more here: Sri Lanka claims PTA reforms are 'most progressive step', human rights experts disagree
Read the full statement here.